


Interestingly Enough, This Wasn't Even The Ending Scene.

by BooBoogara



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, Anger, Bodyguard, Eventual Romance, Gotta Go Fast, Love, M/M, Slow Burn, Weird Plot Shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-04 13:26:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14021226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BooBoogara/pseuds/BooBoogara
Summary: What could be worse than an adored Hollywood actor that's secretly the most self-centered jackass the world had ever come across?Having to protect that self-centered jackass, of course.





	1. I hate him.

**Author's Note:**

> We back bois. Idk what I was thinking for the plot of this, but I thought it would be fun! I know it won't be everybody's cup of tea, so I'll be probably updating this pretty slowly. It's definitely going to be shorter than my detective fic I'm working on as well :) Enjoy!

Taking a long drag of his cigarette under the dim street lights of a 1960’s New York, Ryan Bergara stared off into the distance. He was taking cover as rain pelted the red awning above him, hiding under the protection of a local businesses’ marquee. Tan coat just barely soaked, he shivered ever so slightly, taking in the tranquility of the night. Speaking to himself, his voice was a low growl, and he dare not to smile.

“I don't think I'll ever see her again. Not in a million years.” An angsty exhale, and he closed his eyes, silent.

 

“Cut!” Behind the lights and cameras, a few people begin to clap and cheer, congratulating each other. The man calling out, the director, held up a big thumbs up. “And that's a wrap!”

The fake rain turned off and the lights lifted, causing Ryan to stifle a yawn.

“Mister Bergara, you're so talented. Congratulations on finishing the film!” His assistant, Zach, came on to set, holding a handkerchief with a small smile.

Grinning to himself, the cocky young actor snuffed out the very real cigarette on the side of the faux brick building, nodding along. He wasn't a smoker, but the man would do _anything_ to get into character.

“I know. Another great movie with another great lead. I can't wait for the release next summer.” Suddenly wiping his brow, Ryan let out a very theatrical sigh, stripping out of his coat and dropping it on the ground. “It's pretty hot in here. My skin is getting sticky.”

“Oh--” the skinny man immediately bent down to grab the jacket, then came closer to Ry to dab his forehead with a cloth in his hand.

“I should go back to my trailer and put on a face mask. I feel disgusting.”

“I should come with you!” Nervous, Zach knew the actor never cooperated, and he probably wouldn't now.

“I can go alone, uh… what's your name again?”

There was a pause before the man answered.

“I'm… Zach. I've been your assistant for almost a year now.”

“Yeah… right. I'm sure.” Ryan spoke as if the employee was lying, just agreeing to agree. “Anyway, uh, Zach, I don't need anyone following me around.”

“It's for safety.” With a small sigh and the upward push of his glasses, the skinnier male adjusted his spectacles impatiently. It was like trying to coax a child.

“Not to offend, _Zach_ , but you don't look like the protective type.” With a pat on the shoulder, Ryan walked past the assistant, giving him a reassuring smile. If there was one thing Bergara could do well, it was making people he deemed unimportant feel important. It was like he never stopped acting, never showed his true self.

As soon as Ryan stepped outside the set into sunny California’s warm glow, he opened his arms up and basked in it, inhaling with a grin. Ah, he loved nice weather. There was nothing that could possibly happen to ruin this good day.

His tiny tin trailer was parked out next to the set building on Buzzfeed Studios’ lot. Opening the door to his well-furnished trailer, Ry noticed it was slightly ajar, but shrugged it off. It was probably just that guy Zach rummaging through things.

He shut the door behind him, and jumped as soon as his eyes met the masked man’s, letting out a curse word or two.

“Wh-What do you think you're doing in my…!”

Without hesitation, the intruder grabbed Ryan by the shoulders, spinning him around. He now faced away from the robber-like character and in one swift movement, the guy was putting a gun to his head.

“You're going to take out your phone, and you're going to call whoever is in charge. If they don't pay up, you're a dead man.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Ever since that happened, we can't take our eyes off you.” Ryan's manager was pacing the room, brows furrowed. “You could have been in real danger. If the police weren't called…--”

“I wasn't hurt, though, Jen. No one should be as worried as they really are. It's been weeks since the accident, and I can tell you, it’s fine now. Me disappearing for a while should have taken everyone's attention off of it.” Ryan crossed his legs in the chair he sat in, eyes wandering around Jen’s office room. The big window behind her desk had it's blinds open, a heavy ray of light bathing the room in a warm glow.

“That is not what you should be saying.” She let out a huff with her arms crossed, turning to her client. “You almost got _shot_. We need to do something to protect you. If news got out that Hollywood's biggest star Ryan Bergara was taken hostage, Buzzfeed will be in real trouble.”

Ryan couldn't help but chuckle at the word “shot,” smiling like an idiot with a roll of his eyes.

“But… I wasn't though. There's not a hole in me, is there?” The way he spoke was so matter-of-factly that it made his manager deadpan. “It seems like everyone in the company is really shoving this whole protection thing down my throat. Maybe that means you should do your job and hire someone to stay by my side. Because that kid Zach _clearly_ isn't doing justice, yeah?”

All the feeling of worry Jen had for Ryan was suddenly sucked straight out of her. How she put up with such a pompous dickhole, the world would never know.

“First off. Zach is an assistant. Meaning I'll find a bodyguard, then. Just know they'll have to be with you most of the day, so try not to give them a hard time. _Please_.”

“I'm surprised the studio hadn't put someone next to me already. I _am_ their most important asset.” Getting to his feet rather quickly, Ryan waved his hand at his manager, giving her his signature toothy grin. “I think we're done here.”

All finished with filming his newest action thriller film, _Deviant of the Night_ , Ryan made his way back to his private, quite expensive house, letting out a hum as he closed the front door and flopped down on his couch. Of course he was wearing his favorite space-themed pajamas, yawning and scrolling through his Twitter feed.

Then he had a thought.

Maybe he should be more careful, or maybe more worried that he could have died. Though Ryan figured he watched too many true crime shows and podcasts to be _too_ scared of death. He was horrified when that gun was shoved against his skull, sure, but he'd never tell anyone that. _Ever_.

Ryan was dozing off when he heard a knock on his door. It was mid-morning, which was an odd time for a guest.

And he sure as hell wasn't expecting anyone.

There was another abrupt knock, and the sudden sound made him jump, paranoia quickly setting in. Who could it be? A crazy fan? Another asshole trying to kill him?

The knocking persisted, and it was going on for so long that Ryan wasn't even that frightened anymore, just straight up annoyed.

“Fine, Jesus!”

Scrambling to his feet, then making his way to the front door, he hesitated to turn the knob. _Fuck_ , he thought, _I could be making a mistake._

Deep down, Ryan knew he could potentially be hated. Hell, he knew he most likely _was_ hated by more than a few people out there. It didn't seem too crazy for someone to magically find his address and murder him in cold blood.

He turned the doorknob in one swift movement, suddenly feeling gutsy. And that's when he was met with a well dressed, extremely tall human being.

“Um… Who are you?”

“Mister Bergara, I'm Shane Madej, your bodyguard.”

A second of silence fell upon the two as they exchanged looks, both seemingly unamused. Then out of nowhere, the actor began to chuckle, a small, smug little grin across his face.

“I don't think so.” Looking him up and down, Ryan kept his eyes narrowed. “I know for sure my company didn't hire a tree as a bodyguard. Thanks.” He began to shut the door on the man, but surprisingly, the bodyguard caught it with his hand, long fingers preventing the wood slab to be pushed closed any further. Taken aback, Ryan couldn't help but let out a tiny gasp, trying to force the door shut harder.

It didn't budge, and Shane couldn't help but smile.

“They told me you'd be like this.” His glare was mocking, and he looked as sly as a fox. “But don't worry, I'm not one of those hard-ass silent type guards like every star has. Trust me when I say I'll whip you into shape.”

“ _You're_ going to talk to _me_ like that? Do you even know who I am?” By the time Ryan finished speaking, he was out of breath from trying to keep the door shut. He had just decided to give up then, letting the guard saunter inside his house, walking right past him.

Shane turned on his heels to face Ryan with his arms crossed, brows raised.

“Oh yeah, baby,” lips pursed, he now took his turn to look over Ryan. “I know just what you are. A pompous little a-hole who gets everything he wants handed to him. And you know what? That's gonna change. Because if I'm going to protect you for a living, you're going to have to not annoy me to the point of where I'm wanting to jump into traffic.”

“Really, because I just met you and I already wish you would.” Slamming the door a bit too loudly, Ry started to make his way into his rather large kitchen, sighing heavily. Shane stayed in the spacious living room, keeping a close eye on Ryan.

“See,” Shane nodded his head over and over, index finger pointed to the ground. “That's gonna change.” He didn't speak like he was attempting to come off as threatening, more so as if he was talking to a little kid, trying to coax them into paying better attention. He had a comedic tone in his voice, and Ryan noticed it, and definitely hated it, from the moment Shane opened his mouth.

“Hmm. Yeah. No. Not gonna change.” Ry was pouring himself a glass of water as he spoke. The mug he used was big and grey with the words BUZZFEED STUDIOS in an arched white print on it. It faintly resembled the Hollywood sign. “What was your name again? _Annoying_? Get out of my house, Annoying.”

“No, my name isn't _Annoying_ . It's Shane. Shane Madej. You can refer to me as, _ahem_ , _Mister_ Madej. Or super cool bodyguard Madej. Thank you.” As he put emphasis on the word “mister” and “super cool,” he moved his hands away from one another, like he could see his name in lights.

“I think I'll refer to you as something more fitting.” Taking a sip of his water, Ryan cocked an eyebrow. “How about Big Idiot.”

Watching the tall man react, Ry rolled his eyes. There was that shit-eating grin again.

“Now I could refer to you as Little Idiot, and that wouldn't be very nice, would it, Mister Bergara? Because what, you're like two feet tall.”

“Eat shit.”

“Whatever you say.” With a click of his tongue, Shane used that as a filler, switching subjects and moving onto his next sentence. “Now,” he checked his watch. “Gonna need you to take your clothes off.”

Ryan almost let out a pretty good spit-take, a tiny amount of water dribbling out if his mouth. Swallowing and wiping his lip, a look of straight-up disgust written all over his face.

“Excuse me? Are you planning to assault me now?”

“What? God, fuck no. You have an interview back at Buzzfeed Studios at one this afternoon that you need to get dressed for. Because right now, honestly, you look like a fucking idiot. What is that on your pajamas, flying saucers?”

The look Ryan had wasn't charged with anger or anything snarky, it was more of a challenging look, as if he was asking “oh, and you could do better?” Shane just kept the grin he had on his face, humming to himself.

“You should be more classy, like me. My pajamas have Bigfoot on them.”

“Oh, fuck off.” Ryan was already walking away from the conversation and up the staircase that resided in the middle of his living room. He was heading to his bedroom to, hopefully, get dressed and not putz around. Shane shouted up to him, both hands cupping around his mouth.

“Next time use manners. A ‘fuck off, _please_ ’ would be nice.”

 

* * *

 

 

Ryan was dressed like some sort of guy who would sit at home and eat popcorn by the fistfulls, watching YouTube videos all day. He wore a tight grey t-shirt and dark jeans, and his hair was a mess. Shane took note of how quickly and practically effortless Ry went about getting dressed. It was funny. Such an expensive man dressing like such a poor boy. Shane was going to say something, but figured he wouldn't. Save the remarks for when they get in the car. And oh, the car.

“Your chauffeur is going to pull up any second.” Shane had been checking his watch non stop today. It was a good last minute thrift store purchase. Anything to make him look more professional, right?

“Chau--” Ryan incredulously cut himself off. “Aren't you my driver?”

“Oh no. No no. I get to sit in the back with you.” The cheeky look on his face said it all. This was going to be one of the most annoying car rides _ever_.

When Shane opened the door for Ryan they exchanged looks, briefly, and the taller man could tell their relationship was going to be just straight up rough from here. Ry had furrowed his brows, giving the most intimidating and hateful glare he could. It was hard to take him seriously with such a babyface.

Shane shut the door after he piled into the car, the short limo only having four chairs in the space they were given, each pair across from each other. Of course the guard chose the seat next to his client, grinning from ear to ear.

“No.” Ryan protested, pointing to the chair across from him. “You sit there. Away from me.”

“I don't think so.” Madej shook his head, childishness radiating off of him. “I don't want to. I should sit close to the person I’m getting paid to look after, after all.” He waited a second to speak. “Also, your hair looks stupid.”

  
  


“Ryan, Ryan, you're here!” Jen was waiting outside the studio entrance, waiting for the limo to pull past. As it did so, it stopped half up the driveway. The manager watched a window in the back roll down, and Ryan stick his head out if it. He did not look pleased.

Jen only smiled, looking over to see the big unshaven man shoulder to shoulder with her client. “So you met Shane?”

“I hate him.” Ryan called out, words unwavering and quite rather to the point. Shane, popping his head out of the window as well, just laughed, eyes shaped like half-moons.

“Well I love ‘im. Nothing like a car ride to make the bond of friendship stronger, right?”

Jen just nodded, brows raising and grin refusing to budge. She waved the car in, motioning it to move further. As it drove by, Ryan kept the window rolled halfway down, just enough for the top of his head to poke out, and just enough for his eyes to watch his manager like a hawk as they went past.

This interview was going to suck.


	2. ... Shit.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan gets a little pissy. And Shane gets a little too close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm I put off writing this for so long, I usually like to have a few chapters of a story done before I start posting it online, but here I got a little strapped for time hehe;; I hope you guys like this chapter, I think I made it a little too long, but the next stuff coming up is super soft and that's where the plot starts to kind of develop. Thanks for taking your time to read!

“Stop following me.” Through the hall, Ryan was speed walking rather aggressively, trying to shake the taller man off his tail. Shane strode closer and closer to his client’s heels, waiting for the perfect timing to step on the back of his shoes.

“Every time you take one step, I take two baby. I'm 80% leg.”

“You're 80% stupid.”

“Ouch.” He clutched at his heart. “That really hurt, Bergara.”

They were halfway to their destination as Ryan glanced over to his side, watching the room numbers go past. He quickly looked forward before he tripped or ran into something.

“This interview has to be at least semi-perfect. I swear to God if you open your stupid, fat mouth and ruin it, I will end you.”

“Well, no way it's going to be perfect with that outfit on. You looked like you just crawled out from under a rock.”

“Mudhey--”

“It's Madej.”

“Whatever. _Madej_. You're a jackass, and I don't want to listen to what you have to say to me. And when I say you better not ruin this interview, you better not. Got it?”

Shane was already next to Ryan as he spoke, striding proudly with his back straight. He fixed the cuffs on his blazer only briefly, hands in the pockets of his pressed slacks.

“Don't you worry. I'm a professional. I wouldn't _purposely_ ruin something.” Shane’s body tensed up when Ryan suddenly stopped, turning and entering a door to his left without a word. Grumbling to himself, the bodyguard followed behind, jaw clenched. “... But for you, I might just make an exception.”

Inside the room, there were three cameras surrounding two cheap looking tall wooden chairs with canvas backs. A set of bright white lights were shining onto the purple backdrop behind it all.

“Ryan Bergara.” The host talked as if he was seeing an old friend, stars in his eyes. “I'm Keith, the wacky interviewer for Try Guy magazine. Nice to meet you!” The way the tall cheery man said the word “wacky” didn't sit well with Ryan. And who actively described themselves as _wacky_ anyway? Slightly uncomfortable, Ry showed somewhat of a grin on his face, nodding and saying his hellos. Shane took note that this was the first time he had seen Ryan smile. It looked as fake as they come. Keith, turning his attention to the man dressed all in black at Bergara's side, took Shane by the hand and shook it quite passionately, smile ceasing to fade. “And you must be…?”

“I'm Mister Bergara's new bodyguard.”

Ryan crossed his arms. Hm, seemed Shane could act somewhat professional. The star admitted to himself that he really liked it when he was called "mister." For a second he grinned a little maniacally, then quickly dropped the smile when Keith turned his attention back to him for a split second. The host then moved towards Shane, slinging and arm around the tall man, eyebrows pulled up as if he was getting in on a big secret.

“Ah yes, a bodyguard. You were probably hired because of the little... incident. Shame that Ryan was out of work for those couple of weeks.” He whispered, but was still speaking rather loudly. There was an awkward pause, since no one really knew what to say. Keith cleared his throat to fill the void of silence. “...But enough talk off-camera, let's get rolling!”

He showed Ryan to his seat, chit chatting about something silly to loosen him up. The camera crew stood by in the background, not looking particularly amused. Keith then lifted his hands in a broad gesture and let out a weirdly hearty laugh, declaring some sort of motivational saying for the crew. Apparently that was his signal to start the interview.

 

The first few minutes weren't bad. Shane stood off camera in the background, keeping his eyes peeled for any suspicious movement. Keith kept the conversation basic at first, asking about Ryan's new movie and schedule. After it was starting to get a bit boring, it seemed like a few of the people standing by straightened their backs out as if they were waiting for something. Then, Shane took note that the main cameraman suddenly had this look in his eyes, waving a hand at Keith as if to say “come on.”

In response, the host sat up better in his seat, back arching, with a deep inhale.

“So, Ryan, everyone's wondering. How have you been coping after that brief period of being MIA? Where _exactly_ were you?”

Shane swallowed hard. The executives at Buzzfeed had specifically gave him instructions to not let the questions get too personal, especially the ones pertaining to why his client had disappeared. And _shit_ , he forgot to warn Ryan not to answer them. He needed to do something to catch his attention, and quick. It was his first day on the job, and he most definitely didn't want to get fired already.

“Well… I guess…” Ryan began to speak, only to see something thrashing around rapidly in his peripheral vision. Casually letting his eyes move over to watch the movement more closely, he raised his brows, trying not to let his blood boil or do something to disturb the interview.

There Madej was, waving his arms around like a giant inflatable tube man. He looked absolutely idiotic, and Ryan bit down on his lip to suppress the overwhelming urge to go over there and punch his bodyguard square in the face. Ryan's expression drastically changed when Keith reached out to touch his shoulder, trying to catch his attention. He got this shit-eating grin on his face, hands in his lap like he was attentive and focused, even though he was quite the opposite. Shane was screaming on the inside, trying to do anything to make the young actor stop talking.

“Oh sorry, I don't know what I should say.” Ryan simply answered, eyes refusing to leave the face of the desperate looking Shane. He was mouthing something, but Ry was bad at that game. Something like… shu... t… u... p?

_Shut up? Oh, you're dead, Madej._

It was then Ryan decided he was going to do quite the opposite.

“Actually Keith,” He turned to now face the host. “I'll tell you all about it.” Opening his hands, setting the scene and beginning to act out the events, Ry had a toothy grin on his face. “So it all started when--”

“Stop!” With no warning, Shane sprinted forward with his arms still waving around. What he didn't notice was that as he ran towards Ryan, his foot got caught under an extension cord that was haphazardly laying down across the floor. He fell forward as fast as he came, crashing right into the main camera and bringing down two lights along with him. His face made painful contact with the floor, and for a moment, everyone was silent.

Face still kissing the tile, and arms and legs still wrapped in equipment, Shane bellowed the first curse word that came to mind.

“... _Shit._ ”

 

* * *

 

 

“I guess we'll take a break for now. Nothing more we can do until we get our lights and stuff fixed and set back up.” This was the only time Keith didn't look too happy. He scratched his head, frowning. “We may have to reschedule.”

Ryan nodded, acting solemn. Then, he turned to Shane, who was standing right next to him. Waiting for Keith to step away, Bergara cocked his head, eyeing the clumsy guard. Shane's lips were pursed, and he raised a brow, trying to act as if he wasn't guilty.

“You're psychotic.” Ryan spoke low so no one else could hear. And through gritted teeth, the star grabbed Shane by the necktie, bringing him closer. “I should kill you right now.”

“M-Mister Bergara, are you planning to assault me?” Putting his hands up like a gun was pointed at him, Shane feigned shock. As the camera crew bustled around the two men, Ryan was surprised no one heard Shane's fake cry for help.

Dragging him out into the hall, away from all the commotion, the feud didn't stop there.

Ry pushed Shane up against the wall next to the doorway. A finger jabbed the bodyguard in the chest as Bergara looked up at him, the most pissed he's ever been around the taller man. He poked his phalange a bit harder at every word.

“You're going to be fired today. I guarantee it.”

“You can't guarantee what you don't know. I saved your ass today.” Madej was almost too happy, a chime in his voice as he tried to swat Ryan's hand away. His grip on Shane's tie just barely tightened, bringing the taller man even closer.

“Whatever-your-name-is Madej, you are a _dead man._ ”

“It's Shane. And you better let go of me, Mister Bergara, or I'll scream. A camera could be rolling somewhere, anywhere. Would they think of us as lovers or think of you as a harasser?” Hands at his sides, he watched Ryan's reaction closely.

The word lovers extracted a laugh from deep within Bergara’s chest. His ears were pink.

“If they thought of us as anything more than two people that hate each other, I'll sue them.”

“Of course you would. That makes you feel _really_ powerful, doesn't it? Making people submit to you. Obey you like they're some sort of slave.”

What Shane was saying was obviously hitting a nerve, but Ryan just couldn't stop chuckling, staring into the eyes of his bodyguard as if he was testing him to see how far he'd go.

“If you're here to protect me, do your job. Because right now, you're making a fool out of yourself.”

“Really? I'm the fool?” Moving his hands to wrap them around Ryan's waist, Shane pulled him closer, their hips now bumping together. Ryan instinctively put his hands out, releasing Madej's tie and putting his palms up against his chest. They locked eyes immediately, and accidentally. Shane refused to break the gaze. “Imagine what people would think if they saw the famous Ryan Bergara with a man like this.”

Redder than they had ever been at this point, Ryan’s cheeks flushed. He was in his bodyguard’s arms and just blinked, grumbling low.

“Fuck you.” His attempts to get away were futile, since Shane just held onto him tighter, closer. The grip he had was honestly quite impressive. He clearly knew what he was doing. “Let go of me, asshole.”

“Your red face makes me think that you're liking this.” Eyes lowering with a cocky smirk and an exhale, the bodyguard didn't let up, making Ryan uncomfortably squirm.

But, as soon as the sound of the door opening next to them sounded off, Shane released the shorter male, pushing him away and turning his own body towards the wall, beginning to whistle. Ryan just stood in the middle of the hallway, a stupid look on his face.

Keith, stepping out into the hall with a somewhat discontent frown, locked eyes with Ry and sighed.

“Well, it seems one of the bulbs in our lights broke and we don't have a replacement. Does next Thursday sound good for a redo of this mess?”

A dry chuckle.

“Of course. I can take that bulb out of my bodyguard’s check too if you want.”

Shane turned and glanced over at Ryan with a look of shock, brows raised and mouth slightly open. Bergara just briefly peered at him from his peripheral vision, grinning a little too evilly.

“Oh, that won't be necessary. We've got it all taken care of. Thanks for being so patient, Ryan.”

Keith, patting the famous star on the top of the head, let out a small hum. “Now I know why they call you the son of Hollywood.”

It took Shane all he could not to bust out laughing as Keith’s crew walked by and out of sight. When everything was clear and the two were done watching the group leave, he let that pent up guffaw escape him.

“Okay, _what_ ? The _son_ of Hollywood? You have to be kidding me.”

“You clearly don't know me then, Madej. I'm one of the most popular stars as of mid-last year. My debut in the academy award winning horror film _Axe_ was a hit.” Ryan almost shuddered at the word. _Horror_. His first scary movie would definitely be his last. No more spooks and fake blood for him.

“I actually _don't_ know much about you, to be honest. In fact, I’ve never heard of you before, and I really like movies, so that's weird.”

“You're a liar.” A crack in Ryan's voice made Shane cock his brow. He seemed to have hurt the little actor's pride.

“I don't want to fight with you, Mister Bergara. But I really haven't seen any of your movies.” He was getting a little arrogant now, somewhat thriving on the fact that Ryan was getting so hurt.

“What's my schedule for today?”

The sudden question made Shane tilt his head to the side, but he reached into his back pocket, taking out his (now shattered from the fall) phone. He pulled up a PDF and swiped his thumb across the screen.

“Looks like your schedule is clear all day until your manager comes over to discuss a new movie with you at seven.”

Ryan, peering over the back of Shane's phone, eyed the screen.

“Wow, that's fuckin’ _broken_.”

“Well, it's all your fault, thanks. You shouldn't have tried to open your big mouth and talk about the incident.”

“So that was the reason you had to act like an idiot and ruin my interview?” Standing with his hands on his hips, Ryan huffed. He looked like _such_ a little primadona.

“Well, it's my job, so yeah. I have to do a lot more than protecting, sometimes. I've gotta make sure you don't fuck up your own career.”

“I'd _never--_ ”

“Oh, shut up. You were about to share everything with that Keith guy.”

“No, that's their job. To be so sickeningly nice to the point where you automatically trust them.”

“I saw the look you gave me. You saw me trying to shush you and you acted out. Watching you is like babysitting!” Shane couldn't contain himself, talking dramatically with his hands. He was getting fed up, sure, but he wouldn't just give up and give in to the shitshow that was Ryan Bergara. “This is going to have to change, Bergara. I can't just keep looking after an infant that won't learn from its mistakes.”

“If you stop comparing me to a child, maybe you could let me say something.” Ryan took a step closer to his bodyguard in attempts to one-up him. “Even if that was true, and I _was_ actively trying to defy you-- which, I wasn't,” yet he totally was, “That should give you the bright idea that I _can't_ be controlled, and I will never listen to you. So maybe _you_ should be the one who should stay shushed.”

“Oh, shush _yourself_.” This sounded less cheesy in Shane's head, and automatically, he regretted saying the words. “And… you just contradicted yourself anyway. You were clearly trying to be a little shit, not listening to me again!”

“Okay, dad. Whatever you say. I guess I should stop what I'm doing and bow down to you, right?”

“Don't start calling me your dad or I'll start calling you kiddo.” Shane checked his watch with the roll of his eyes. “It's already three o'clock, you know. Are we going to keep arguing until your manager comes to see you? Because she's meeting us back at your place.”

“Shut up, Madej. I'm fully aware where my manager will be meeting me. Emphasis on me, not you. Besides, I wanted to show you something, anyway.”

“Okay? I'll call the car.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“ _This_ was your big surprise?”

“I never said it was a surprise, but yeah.” Ryan used his television remote to access his Netflix on the ginormous flat-screen located in his “entertainment room.” It was a large space in the back room of his house with dim lights and big comfy sofas.

As he clicked a few buttons to pull up the movie, the screen turned black, then faded into the opening scene. Ryan muttered under his breath, bewildered even though he had seen this film more than a hundred times. “My most famous movie. _Unsolved_.”

“How is there a plot if it's--”

“Shh. It's starting.”

The beginning of the movie started with a beautiful brunette at a bar with friends. She was laughing, happy, and then a hand reached around her back, pulling her in. Startled, she looked in that direction, and was met with the eyes of a strange man. With the angle and lighting of the camera, it was safe to say that was the villain.

The scene fades out, and then police sirens.

Her body was pulled from some river, and in the background, a tiny man piled out from the passengers seat of an Oldsmobile. With the camera taking its time zooming in, Shane now could tell who it was.

“Oh, oh, there I am! There I am!” Pointing to the screen frantically, Ryan was giggling like an idiot, looking over at Shane to make sure he was watching.

_“Detective, my God, it's so good to see you. We found another body.”_

_“With all of these sudden murders popping up in the area, I doubt this case will be unsolved for long.”_

“Why are you talking like that?” Shane mimicked the way Ryan was articulating, very nasally like he was pretending to be a super badass guy.

“Shut up. Don't talk about Ricky Goldsworth like that. He's a gem of a character.”

“Are you hyping up the character _you_ play right now? You know how self-absorbed you sound, right?”

“He's not just a character I play.” Ryan was whining for a moment, then suddenly got serious, looking at the TV longingly. “Ricky is exactly who I want to be. He protects the town, and everyone respects him, but they're a little scared of him at the same time. People _need_ him. If you keep watching, you'll see he's a hero.”

Shane admitted to himself he wasn't going to pay much attention to the movie at first. But after seeing Ryan's eyes twinkle and his back straighten up at the sight of this Ricky guy made it seem worthwhile. Even though it was him on the big screen, it made a different side of the star visible that Shane hadn’t seen before.

And, the acting was pretty good.

As the end credits rolled, Shane couldn't help but ask a thousand questions.

“That can't be it, right? Ricky isn't going to die like that. He can't. Ryan, you gotta let me know if this is the end, you have to. I hate it, but I'm also weirdly obsessed.”

Ryan just laughed, shrugging.

“To be honest, this isn't the end. It was so popular we already have a third movie in the making, and a television spin-off series in the works.”

Shane exhaled, somewhat relieved that there was more. It ended up being rather interesting, and that really shocked him. Sure, he hadn't seen a film Ryan had starred in _ever_ , and yes, he expected him to be terrible. But it surprisingly entertained the tall male. Before, he didn't even know who Ryan was. He didn't realize if he just didn't pay attention, or just didn't want to know. Yeah, when they met, the boy looked familiar, so Shane assumed he’d seen him on a poster somewhere. But what he didn't assume was that Ry was some A-list star. All he was aware of was that he was dealing with a bratty client. But knowing that that shitty little drama queen Ryan had any sort of talent kind of made Shane rethink his opinion on the boy. He grinned.

“Have any others?”

“What, movies?”

“Yeah, that you're in.”

Ryan half smiled, taking that as a compliment.

“Jen will be here soon. We can watch another after she's gone.” Something about that sentence made Ryan feel like a kid again, like he was staying up late with a friend. Then again, Shane wasn't a friend. He was some shitty, annoying guard who was fucking up everything thus far. He shook any happy little thought he had from his mind and sighed.

“You can't stay up too late. You have a busy schedule tomorrow.”

“And the next day, I'm sure. Whatever.” Ryan got to his feet wearing a scowl. It wasn't Shane's fault that he had so much to do, but a part of the male wished he could just stay in that room forever with the guard. It was actually  _fun_. “I'm going to go into the living room and wait for Jen.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Yeah, no.” Ryan was digging at his nail beds, unamused.

“Ryan, please do this movie. It would be _huge_ for Buzzfeed Studios.”

“I don't want to do it. It sounds stupid. I hate romance.”

The smile on Jens face cracked. She was more than fed up with the star at this point.

“You're so picky when it comes to your job. You won't do horror, you won't do romance. All the movies you're in are very specific. Why all the crime? Why all the outdated plots that only old people would watch?” Her voice was raising but her words seemed to be anything but impactful, causing Ryan to raise a brow. He didn't know what she was getting at.

“If your boss’ boss doesn't want to listen to me, then I guess I quit.”

“Mister Bergara.” Shane stepped into the conversation, taking a few paces towards the couch Ryan was sitting on. Jen was on the loveseat across from the short man, only a coffee table separating the two.

“Shut up and stay out of it, Madej. I can do what I want. And what I want is to leave if you're not going to let me do what I want.”

“Ryan, you're in a contract. I came here to tell you you _have_ to do this movie. There's no other choice.” It was like Jen was fighting back tears, solemnly going about, actually looking somewhat concerned. “There's no way you can get out of this. Trust me.”

“I guess I'll think about it.” With a shrug and a roll of his eyes, Ryan folded his hands in his lap, not concerned in the slightest.

“No. No more thinking.” Slamming her hands down on the coffee table in front of her, Jen figured there was no other way going about this. “You don't know what these higher ups are capable of. They already know what you're like, Ryan. They won't hesitate to get rid of you if there's a big problem.”

“What did you say?” Shane crossed his arms. What Jen just said was anything but okay. The tone in her voice proved her to be serious as well. She just looked over at the guard, then back at Ryan.

“If they ask, I didn't say anything. But please, think this through before you do something stupid. They'll create something to end your career.”

“A scandal?” Standing with a hip cocked, Shane frowned. He didn't believe that they'd just throw Ry away like some old toy.

“Obviously. But I don't care. I'll do the movie this time, but tell them I'm still against it, and this will be the last damn time I get bossed around.”

“Don't be too picky after this. Believe it or not, I care about you. I don't want to see you ruined like half the actors I've looked after. You have so much potential.”

“Jen, just go. I'm tired and I want to mentally prepare myself for this film.” He put his head in his hands, sighing heavy. The news could have been much worse, and he could have been out of a job completely, but Ryan was still defeated nonetheless.

“Just… try your best.” Standing, Jen averted her eyes away from Ryan to now focus them on Shane. “And, Mister Madej, I'll update your schedule. Filming for the movie is going to happen in the next few days, since it's a rushed project. I hope you can handle it well.”

“No problem, ma'am.”

She left without another word, leaving the two boys alone in silence. Shane decided to break the quiet with the clear of his throat, taking the seat that Jen was in just minutes before.

“Romance isn't _that_ bad. It gets a lot of attention, and you probably get to kiss a pretty girl.”

Ryan had his head resting in his hands as he scoffed.

“Yeah, well kissing a girl doesn't really interest me as much as mystery does.”

“So you'd rather kiss a dead body?” Shane, beginning to lean across the coffee table, had this special, almost cheeky, gleam in his eyes. His smile was heart-melting.

“Wh-- Are you an idiot?” Ryan tried to not look the man in the face, attempting to avert his gaze anywhere else before amusing Shane by showing him his cirmson face. He looked to the ceiling, then the floor, noticing it was suddenly a bit hard to breathe.

“Or, would you rather kiss someone like me?” Moving even closer, the space between them began to close.

“Hey…” He couldn't help looking for a second, attention aimed down at Shane's lips. Sure, he was trying to back away, but paused for a moment. When the taller male was close enough to touch, Ryan put his hands on Madej's shoulders, trying to push him away. Yet, he suddenly felt weak. “What are you trying to do?”

They were inches apart. Ryan, in a panic, turned his head to the side with his eyes glued shut, and could feel the ghost of Shane's breath on his neck.

“I'm trying to…” Voice low, Shane moved so his lips were centimeters from Ryan's ear. “... Make you uncomfortable.”

And then, teasingly, he pulled away, acting like nothing happened. Ryan, at first, didn't believe that Shane was completely away from him, opening just one eye to check. When he saw the bodyguard already across the room, taking off his black jacket, he let out a sigh of relief, a butterfly or two stirring around in his stomach. He was looking Shane up and down, watching him roll up the sleeves on his black button down shirt. He loosened his tie, completely and utterly focused on what he was doing rather than noticing Ryan watching him.

The star figured he should say something before he got caught staring.

“Uh, you're taking off your coat.”

Shane peered over at Ryan, eyebrow raised.

“Oh. Yeah. The higher ups at Buzzfeed told me to stay with you for extra protection. If you don't have a spare room I can crash on the couch.”

“No, it's just that…” He swallowed, shaking the weird thought he had out of his mind. “Never mind. I have a guest room upstairs, right across the hall from mine.” Standing up with his hands in his pockets, Ryan nodded. “I have to change into some pajamas, but after that..." He hesitated, then huffed, a sheepish smile appearing on his face. "Do you, uh, still want to watch another one of my movies?”

Flashing a toothy grin, Shane hung his coat up and fully turned to face his client.

“Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be updating this story next week, since this weekend I'll be out of town! I edited this chapter so much, aaa
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed!


End file.
